


Sand in her shoes

by HiddenTrekker



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff, resolutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 23:47:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21418693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenTrekker/pseuds/HiddenTrekker
Summary: A little bit of fluff from Resolutions, inspired by Dido Sand in my shoes, which doesn't seem to stop being on my iPod play list currently
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Sand in her shoes

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while since I posted anything, not sure if I want to add another chapter to this or not, let me know what you think

The deck plating of _ Voyager _ felt strange, almost alien, under the feel of her Starfleet Boots. During the months on New Earth she hadn’t needed anything more than light cotton pumps or sandals, her boots carefully stored away with her uniform, left to gather dust and become nothing more than a fond memory...then her comm badge had crackled to life and everything had changed. 

The life she had begun imagining, accepting and almost looking forward to was cruelly snatched away. She grimaced, like her life before  _ Voyager _ had been by the Caretaker and her choice to save a people she had only just discovered existed, only this time it was a virus, something beyond her control and the love of her crew. 

They had been back onboard a few days already, travelling over the space that  _ Voyager  _ had initially done without them, so there was very little for her to do. The EMH has suggested a week of light duties for both her and Chakotay, to allow them to get used to being back, get back to normal he had said. 

Janeway keyed in her door code and the doors to her quarters slid open, the sight of her untouched boxes greeted her. Sighing she slipped her uniform jacket off and hung it over a dining chair, more comfortable in her tunic and uniform pants, she rolled her neck and removed her shoes. Padding in socked feet over to the replicator she ordered her usual, coffee, black.

Taking hold of the cup, inhaling the scent, she returned to the boxes and settled on the floor amongst them. 

Opening the box closest to her, she inspected the contents, the few civilian clothes she had, dressed, shoes and a few trousers and shirts. Taking each item out she gently sorted through them, things to hang in her wardrobe, put away in the draws, shoes to place in the draw of the wardrobe. 

An unfamiliar shirt fell out of a dress she had folded away, it wasn't something she remembered packing. Frowning she picked it up, instantly recognising it as his. A little piece of their world. The world she had been so resistant to allow him to build until it was almost too late. Feeling the fabric through her fingers Captain Janeway fell away, and Kathryn felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes. His scent, so familiar to her now, filled her nose and the tears began to flow freely.

Holding his shirt to her, Kathryn continued to sort through the box using her free hand, reaching the bottom of the box, the remaining pairs of her shoes left she smiled, there was still sand from the river banks scattered through the base of the box and the inside of her sandals, from the last few walks they took together before _ Voyager _ came to collect them, before life had been turned upside down again. The few times she had allowed him to hold her hand, to pull her close and the only time they had kissed, a final goodbye to the life they had started to build before their old life returned to claim them.

Swallowing the last of her, now cold, coffee a thought came to her. Standing, still holding his shirt, she returned to the replicator, punched in a few commands and waited. An empty glass bottle, complete with cork and tag appeared. Collecting them she returned to her previous position, this time gently folding the cream linen shirt and placing it on the pile to go in to her draws, a smile tugging at her lips. Picking up the shoes at the bottom of the box she tapped the sand out of them, watching it as it fell to the base of the box. Once they were all out and every grain she could get was in the box, she gently tipped it to the side, gathering the sand in one corner, before tipping it into the neck of the empty bottle. The grains filled over half the small bottle. Giving the grains a quick spray of her perfume she placed the cork as a stopper in the neck, collecting an old fashioned pen, that she had been given by her mother as a celebration of her first command, she wrote on the tag;

_ My Angry Warrior _

_ You became my peace  _

_ These grains maybe all we have left,  _

_ Except the memories _

_ Everything seems confused now, but we will always have our sand. _

_ Until we reach our home again _

_ Woman Warrior _

Kathryn had never been one for expressing sentiment, but she tried. Tapping her comm badge she ordered the computer to initiate a site to site transport for the bottle. Smiling as she did so.

***

He heard the whine of the transporter beam from his bathroom, arriving at his living room as the last of the beam dissipated, leaving behind a small bottle. Walking over he picked it up and examined the contents, sand. His brows furrowed in confusion, then he saw the tag and a smile lit his face.  _ Kathryn _ he thought. 

Placing the bottle on a shelf in his living area, next to his medicine bundle, he collected a PADD and typed out a quick message;

**To: Captain Janeway**

**From: Commander Chakotay**

**Message: Thank you. Until we’re home...again**

Sending the message he smiled, remembering the present he had stored away in the cargo bay, ready for her birthday in a few months… If he could find a reason to get B’Elanna to install it for him… And he had added a few carvings of monkeys, rivers and a boat he never got to make.


End file.
